Landing gear for aeroplanes



March 19, 1929. H. T. BOOTH LANDING GEAR FOR AEROPLANES Filed Dec. 5, 1925 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented-Mar. 19, 1929. H: I v 1,705,896

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FLUSHIN'G, NEW YORK, AND KIRKHAM PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION. I u

. LANDING GEAR non AEROPLANES. Application filed December 5, 1925. Serial No. 73,302.

This invention relates to aeroplanes and head 2 by the transversely arranged bolts inparticularly to a'chassis and landing gear dicated. The axle structure is divided into therefor. three parts,+a central part and the two end 55 The object of the invention generally is a parts 5, the latter carrying the wheels 4 on 5 novel chassis and landing gear for aeroplanes their'free ends. The end parts5 of the axle whereby the-shocks at landing and while runstructure are formed of a built up I-beam ning along the surface are minimized, andessimilarly to the central structure 5: The pecially a landing gear and shock absorbrn junction between the central structure 5 and 60 v mechanism characterized by its simpliclty either of its end sections 6 is in the form of a t 10 and ruggedness in construction, the readiness pivoted connection 10 permitting the up and by which it may be repaired and the economy down pivotal movements of the end sections by which it may be manufactured and mount- 6 about the horizontalaxes 10, suitable spaces ed on the craft. A further object of the inbeing provided between the adjacent upper 65 vention is a combined fuselage and landing edges of thestructures 5 and 5 to permit the chassis of novel construction and assembly relative up and down movement, and in these and capable of being economically manufacspaces are disposed a readily compressible and turedand assembled into a durable structure resilient ma'terial 11, which upon the upward capable of withstanding to a marked degree pivotal movements of'the wheels with their 70 the rough usage to which such devices are substub axles 5 are compressed to form 'a shock jected. p I absorbing or yielding mechanism for. the

Fora better understanding of the invenchassis. This yielding material may be in tion, reference maybe had to the accompanythe form of a rubber block or blocks reing drawings forming a part;,of thisappllcatained in position in any suitable manner so 75 tion wherein, Y as to form a permanent part of the landing- Fig. 1 is a plan View of the chassis sepagear. At 12 I have indicated a flexible tying rated from the craft, means for the purpose of limiting the rela- I Fig. 2 is a front skeleton view of the landing tive downward movement of the wheels 4 and gear, and 7 their .stub axles 6 which may be of cord or 80 Fig. 3 is a part sectional and part longitudiwire or any other material answering this purnal sectional view through the landing gear. pose. This tying means 12 is attached to the Referring to the drawings where like nuadjacent parts 5 and 5 of'the divided axle merals designate similar parts throughout, I structure at points above the pivotal connechave illustrated my invention as embodied in tion indicated and thereby limits the down- 85 an aeroplane having a fuselage or main body ward pivoting movement of the wheel 4. At

1 with a transverse bulkhead 2 therein. The, 13 I have indicated, more or less diagrammatilanding gear, designated generally by the nueally, a pair of pivoted struts 13 which are. meral 3 in Fig. 1 is a self-contained unit inpivotally fastened to the stub axles 5 at any eluding an axle-frame arranged transversely suitable point near their outer ends and are-9o of the fuselage 1 and carrying a pair of wheels pivotally fastened at their other ends to any 40 4 on the opposite ends thereof. The axle fixed part or parts of the framework of the structure is formed of abuilt up I-beam, the craft, as for example a bulk-head of the latter being formed of a pair of upper L mem fuselage. These struts. relieve the axle V has 6 and a pair of lower mating L members structures 5, 5 of the horizontal strains 95 7 joined by .an intermediate web 8. This put thereupon at landing, and their pivotal I-beam is of an inverted V form with the apex connections with the axle and craft frame thereof disposed in the-fuselage 1 and carstructure permit the free floating and upried by the supporting bulkhead 2. In the wardly pivoting movements of the wheels 4 particular embodiment shown'the meansof andtheir stub axles 5' while running on me supporting the structure from thebulkhead the ground. In the particular embodiment 2 consists of a pair of blocks 9 disposed on. shown these struts 13 extend rearwardly from opposite sides of the bulkhead 2 which are the elongated axles 5. secured to both the L channels 6 and the bulk- The axle structure is provided with a stream fairing 14 I edges, and having line. fairing divided into a central part 14 and end parts 15,these fairings' being carried respectively by the structures 5 and 6. The central fairing-14 is-ofin'verted V shape in cross section transverse ofthe fuselage correspond.-

ing to the V shape of the: central axle structure 5. Suitable fore and aft spaces-16 are provided between the adjacent fairings to permit the relative pivoting movementof the: fairings 14 and 15. A complete chassis unit includes the axle structures 5 and 5 and the. fairings 14 and 15,. and the whole is carried by the bulkhead 2 in the above describedmam ner. After the anchoring of the central por tion 5, 14 of the chassis to the bulkhead 2 the fairing or cowling, built up about gear, suitable ing devices 17 the fairing 14 of the landing downwardly extending; fasten-- being provided down below the lower part 14 of the fairing 14 towhi'ehfastening 17 the fuselage cover or fairing is se-- cured at its under side.

The axle structure which islspli-t-atthe-two points closely adjacent the fuselage 1 together with the pivotal connections of thesame. for. vertical movements of the end parts of the axle and the intermediate compressible-blocks 11 forms a particularly satisfactory landing gear in that the structure is not only of the simplest character and capable of being economically manufactured, but may be over hauled and repaired with marked facility. For example, the yielding material 11 may be readily removed and renewed at any time,

and moreover the structure is a particularly rigid and durable one. The. self-contained feature of the chassis is also important in that the fairing of the chassis is a unit in itself, separate and distinct from the fairing; of the fuselage, it being a simple matter tobuild up the fairing of the landing gear.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Pat.- ent is: I

1. In an aeroplane a main framework and a, landing gear carried thereby consisting of an inverted V shaped axle fastened at its apex to the craft framework and divided trans-- versely into three parts with. a rigid central part having the two end parts pivotallyxcarried thereby for vertical movements about horizontal axes, the pivoted parts being spaced from the central part; at their upper: disposed therebetween co1n-. pressible and res'lient devices to yieldingly resist the upward movements of the axle ends,

.means for limiting the relative downward movement of the pivoted axles and a pair of drift members extending forwardly from the pivoted ends of the axle structuiree to fixed parts of the craft framework;

2. In an aeroplane a main framework" and. a chassis or landing gear therefor including a transverse axle' structure is; divided.

for the fuselage 1v is then for the fuselage aboutthe central sible and resilient relative yielding and into a. central part and two end. parts, said parts; being: pivoted at their lower adjacent edges for relative vertical movements about horizontal axes, said divided parts. having suitable-.spaces or recesses between their up-- per edges and disposed abovethe pivotal axes and a compressible and resilientmaterial disposed in each. of said recesses, said resilient material being gripped by the opposing edges of the adjacent relatively pivoted axle structure members and yieldingly resisting the relative vertical pivotal movements of the divided structures together with means for limitingthe downward pivotal moveu'ient of the end; structures.

3. An. aeroplane of the character set forth in claim 2 including drift connections extending" fore andaft from the end pivoted structures of the axle to fixed parts of thebody structure. a

4. A landing gear of'the character set forth in claim 2 wherein the compressible and yieldingmaterial is in the form of rubber blocks.

5. In an aeroplane, the combination of a fuselage structure and a chassis: or landing gear therefor including a transverse axle structure passing through the fuselage and divided at points adjacent the fuselage into a central part and two end parts of'substantial length, said central part being, fixed to the fuselage structure and saidend parts being pivoted to. the central part at their lower adjacent edges for relative vertical movements about horizontal axes,-said divided parts havingsuitable spaces or recessesbetween their upper edges and disposed above the pivotal axes and a compressible and resilient material disposed in each of said recesses, said resilient material. being gripped by the opposing edges of the. adjacent relatively pivoted axle structure members and. yieldingly resisting the. relative. vertical pivotal move- 'ments of the dividedstructure together with means for limiting the downward pivotal movement of the end structures.

6. A landing gear for aircraftcomprising a wheeled axle which is" divided and has its parts pivotally connected directly to each other on a fore andaft axis for'relative adjustments in a vertical plane and. a compresdevice disposed on one side of the pivotal connection and. disposed between and directly engaged by the divided parts. for yieldingly opposing the upward. vertical pivotal movement s. 7. A landing gear of the character set --forth in claim 2 having individual stream line fairings for the: three part axle structure, said fairings being spaced from each other along-fore and aft linessto permit the pivotal movements of the wheels and the craft.

8i. An. aeroplane including a unitary landing gear having; aiconti nuous transverse axle structure, with; a. substantially continuous Ill - unit from a fixed part of the aeroplane structure and fuselage cowling built up around the stream line fairing from end to end of the axle, means for supporting said landing gear continuous landing gear fairin 9. A landing gear for aircra comprising a transverse wheeled axle divided with its parts pivotally connected directly to each other for relative adjustments in a vertical plane, and a compressible and resilient device disposed above the level of the pivotal connection and disposed between and directly engaged by the divided parts of the axle for yieldingly opposing the upward vertical pivotal movements.

10. A landing gear for aircraft of the character set forth in claim 9 including means for limiting the downward relative pivotal movements of the divided axle parts.

11. A landing gear for aircraft'comprising a wheeled transverse axle pivoted on a fore and aft axis at a point below its lon itudinal center line to a structure carried %y the main frame of the aeroplane and a compressible and resilient device disposed above said pivotal axis and engaged directly by the end of the axle at a point or points above said axis, the other side of said compressible and resilient device being engaged directly by the structural part in line with the upper portion of said axle.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

HARRY T. BOOTH. 

